Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company
at Astwood Bank vintage show 2008]] of 1963, reg no.7158NU at Cromford steam fair 2008]] tractor of 1947 vintage at Bakewell show 2008]] ]] The Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. of Milwaukee, WI, USA was an American manufacturer with diverse interests, perhaps most famous for their bright orange farm tractors. The company eventually divested its manufacturing businesses and today is known as Allis-Chalmers Energy based in Houston, Texas. History Allis-Chalmers first entered the manufacturing business in the 1840s. While originally incorporated in Delaware, the company soon became a major manufacturer in the Milwaukee area after merging with two other firms. The company's presence in Milwaukee became so large that its plants were once used as a landmark there, and, in particular, its "west" plant lent its 8name to the city of West Allis, Wisconsin. Allis-Chalmers entered into the farm equipment business in 1914 at about the time of the First World War. The company would also play a major part as a manufacturer in the Second World War building pumps for uranium separation as part of the Manhattan Project and building electric motors for U.S. Navy submarines. The company introduced a number product lines including Agricultural Tractor (West Allis, Wisconsin), Implements (LaPorte, Indiana), Industrial Tractor (Topeka, Kansas), Gleaner Combines (Independence, Missouri), Hydro-turbines (York, Pennsylvania), Process equipment (Valves, Pumps (York, Pennsylvania) Compressors (West Allis, Wisconsin), Electric Motors (Cleveland, Ohio), Crushing and screening equipment (Appleton, Wisconsin), Comminution, Air Purification (Illinois), Coal Gasification (St. Louis, Missouri) and Simplicity Garden Tractors (Port Washington, Wisconsin). A series of acquisitions were made by the company beginning in 1928 with the acquisition of Monarch Tractor Company. In 1931, the company acquired Advance-Rumely based in LaPorte, Indiana. Buda Engine Co., based in Harvey, Illinois, USA was acquired in 1953. Two years later the company acquired Gleaner Harvester Co., and in 1959 it acquired the French company Vendeuvre. Allis-Chalmers also acquired Simplicity Outdoor Products, which was later sold to its management in 1983. (Missing section 1960 to 1980s)Please add any info ! In 1952 Allis took over LaPlant Manufactures of Construction plant. The construction division formed a joint venture with Fiat Tractor Company in 1974, creating Fiat-Allis. The company began to struggle in the 1980s in a climate of rapid economic change. It was forced amid financial struggles to sell its farm equipment division to K-H-D (Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz) AG of Germany in 1985, the owners of Deutz-Fahr, which was renamed Deutz-Allis. Deutz-Allis later was sold to management and became what is now the AGCO Corporation (AGCO), and tractors were sold under the AGCO-Allis name - though later this became just AGCO. What remained of the manufacturing businesses were dispersed in 1998 and the company officially closed its offices in Milwaukee in January 1999 The remaining service businesses became Allis-Chalmers Energy in Houston, Texas. Agricultural machinery at the 2011 Indiana State Fair]] at Great Dorset Steam Fair in the Working area]] Tricycle tractor at Newby Hall 2008]] at Newby Hall 2008 ]] fitted with Perkins P3 diesel engine, built in 1957 at Essindine, Lincs. seen at Newby Hall show 2008]] crawler tractor at Newby Hall 2008 ]] at Driffeild show 2008]] Allis-Chalmers offered a complete line of agricultural machinery, from tillage and harvesting to tractors. Generators In 1965 Allis-Chalmers built "Big Allis" or Ravenswood No.3, the biggest generator of its time still operational today. Tractor models * Allis-Chalmers Model 10-18 of 1914 was a Gasoline tractor.(approx 2,700 were made and sold between 1914–21), some being exported to France and sold as the Globe tractor. * Allis-Chalmers 6-12 developed in 1915 but not released till 1918. Sold ~1500 between 1918 and 1926.Old Tractor Magazine, No. 68, page 6 * Allis-Chalmers Model 18-30 of 1919 was a 4 cylinder in-line engined model. selling 16,000 over 7 years. * Allis-Chalmers Model 20-35 1922-1930 re designated from the 18-30 rating following good Nebraska tractor tests results. 4-Cylinder Gasoline engine. (14,000 built)Old Tractor Magazine, no. 68 page 9 * Allis-Chalmers Model 25-40 1930- (A bored out 20-35), became the Allis-Chalmers Model E - replaced by the model A * Allis-Chalmers Model A - 1936 * United, introduced 1929, renamed to the Model U. First tractor with optional low pressure pneumatic tyres. ** Allis-Chalmers Model U * Allis-Chalmers Model B - a small tractor in the 20 hp class popular in the United Kingdom, introduced in 1937. Around 125,000 produced. **Allis-Chalmers Model B **Allis-Chalmers B6 * Allis-Chalmers Model WC manufactured from 1933 to 1948 was a 28 horse power tractor, and had the highest production volume of all the tractors Allis Chalmers produced * Allis-Chalmers Model C - two-row cousin of the Model B, introduced in 1940. * Allis-Chalmers Model G - an unusual cultivation tractor. Rear mounted engine gave excellent view of delicate seeding and cultivation work. * Allis-Chalmers Model WD - early models were made to pull a two bottom plough and had a straight gear shift, while later models had more power and could pull a three bottom plough (and also saw the implementation of a constant mesh transmission with the crooked gear shift lever). This design was improved upon to make the WD-45 * Allis-Chalmers Model WD-45. - perhaps the most significant tractor developed by Allis-Chalmers. This is the first model with a diesel engine and power steering available as options. Introduced in 1953. (image to side > ) * Allis-Chalmers D Series - New generation with remodeled, more stylish features and most famous for the introduction of the Power Director 2-range hand clutch ** Allis-Chalmers Model D17 ( Image to side > ) ** Allis-Chalmers Model D270 Some fitted with Perkins engines. ** Allis-Chalmers Model D272 1957-60 UK built with 30 hp Petrol,26 hp TVO, or Diesel Perkins P3-1 engines, * Allis-Chalmers IB * Hundred Series - Very square sheet metal with many modifications, but mechanically influenced by the D series tractors. * Allis-Chalmers 7000 Series - Entirely new generation of large tractors - first series with fully integrated factory cabs * Allis-Chalmers 8000 Series - Most modern generation of AC tractors - produced up until 1985. Based heavily on 7000 series. * Allis-Chalmers 6000 Series - Mid-size tractors. A 6070 was the last ever AC tractor off the line in 1985. * Allis-Chalmers 5000 Series - Small size tractors (max 50 HP) * Articulated Tractors - 4WD - Several generations, each one designed to match the smaller series tractors during the same time frame. (7000 series, 8000 series, etc.) **Allis-Chalmers T-16 Sugar Babe - **Allis-Chalmers 440 - (built by Steiger) **Allis-Chalmers 7580 - **Allis-Chalmers 8550 - 1976-81 1021 built 300 hp 12 litre AC 6120T 6-cylinder engine, 20/4 transmission **Allis-Chalmers 4W-220 - **Allis-Chalmers 4W-305 - * Garden tractor series built by Simplicity Manufacturing Company In 1959, a team led by Harry Ihrig built a 15 kW fuel cell tractor for Allis-Chalmers which was demonstrated across the US at state fairs. This system used potassium hydroxide as the electrolyte and compressed hydrogen and oxygen as the reactants. The original AC fuel cell tractor is currently on display at the Smithsonian Institute. A line of 6 different sized Crawler tractors was obtained when they took over "Monarch" tractors; *Lightfoot 6-10 up to the Monarch 75 @ 11.5 tons. **Allis-Chalmers Model M Crawler tractor Harvesting Machinery Roto Baler - forerunner of today's round balers. The first model introduced in 1949. In the 1950s Allis Chalmers made a new Roto Baler called #10 Roto Baler. In this model the operator did not have to stop the tractor to allow machine to tie bale. It was equipped with an upper conveyor that would feed the hay back into the windrow. The #10 Roto baler was also equipped with a fast tie clutch. It allowed the bale to be tied in as little as 3 seconds. Later models were nicknamed white tops when the factory started painting the top canopy white. These were manufactured from 1949 to 1974. Implements Allis-Chalmers was a full-line manufacturer. They made implements such as manure spreaders, plows, tillage equipment, drills and planters, forage harvesters and wagons, etc... AC 140 manure spreader brochure.jpg|AC 140 manure spreader AC Disc Harrow brochure - 1953.jpg|1953 AC Disc harrow AC drills brochure - 1975.jpg|AC drills AC Forage brochure.jpg|AC Forage equipment Tractor Parts AGCO is now the parts manufacturer for everything one would need to fix up their older Allis-Chalmers tractors, including water pumps to oil filters, and even rebuild kits and tractor manuals. Many after-market suppliers offer parts for the older models. UK Tractor Preservation machines A large number were on display at the Yorkshire Vintage Society show at Newby Hall Show 2008, (some phots are shown above). The Allis Chalmers Owners club had a display of material relating to the Marque. Construction Equipment Military Machinery *M4 Tractor – an artillery tractor manufactured from 1943. *Ontos - a light anti-tank vehicle, 297 units produced from 1955 to 1957. See also *List of Allis-Chalmers tractors - currently part of article (split out latter) *List of Allis-Chalmers engines *List of Tractor Manufacturers *List of Construction Plant Manufacturers *AGCO (holder of former Deutz-Allis assets) *CNH Global (holder of former Fiat-Allis assets) *Siemens AG (holder of former Siemens-Allis assets) *Deutz-Fahr *Fiat-Allis *LaPlant References *Wikipedia for tractor section. *Classic Plant & Machinery Magazine. *Classic Tractor Magazine *Tractor & Machinery Magazine Further reading * "Plow Peddler". A memoir by a man who worked for Allis-Chalmers company for over 30 years as a sales representative and sales manager. Buescher, Walter M. 1991 publisher by Glenbridge Publishing, Ltd Macomb, Illinois, USA ISBN 978-0944435182 External links * Unofficial Allis Homepage * Statistics on many Allis Models * List of Allis-Chalmers tractors * http://www.ytmag.com/cgi-bin/ntracz.pl?m=ac * Allis Chalmers Museum located in Paris, Illinois * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNH_Global#Fiat-Case_New_Holland__-__History * Parts for Allis-Chalmers tractors e Category:Allis-Chalmers Category:Tractor manufacturers of the United States Category:Agricultural machinery Category:Construction plant manufacturers Category:Lawn and garden tractors Category:Companies of the United States Category:Defunct companies of the United States Category:Implements Category:Crawler tractors Category:Bulldozers Category:Backhoe loaders Category:Articulated tractors Category:AGCO Category:Tractor importers Category:Engine manufacturers of the United States